The present invention relates to arrangements for hanging doors in door frames. In particular, the present invention relates to a hinge adapter that can be mated with a door edge and also to a door jamb, for use in hanging the door in a door frame. The new hinge adapter allows a door to be re-hung in a door frame using hinges that are provided with the hinge adapter of this invention, but where the holes used for mounting the hinges have become stripped. The new hinge adapter also provides for an increased area of the door and door frame surfaces to be used for hanging the door. Use of the new hinge adapter in hanging a door allows the door to be securely hung in the door frame without the need for making mortises in the door or the jamb of the door frame.
A variety of methods are currently used for hanging a door. A typical method involves forming a selected number of mortises in a door jamb, where the number of mortises is equal to the number of hinges to be used for the door. The door to be used is also mortised along a side of the door, for receiving hinges. The door is hung by placing the door in the door frame and then inserting hinge pins into the hinges. The door being hung frequently requires hand fitting to a door frame, which requires a substantial amount of skill and time.
The door hanging systems known have limitations in their use, however, because they may be expensive or difficult to manufacture, or their design is not easily adapted to supporting a wide variety of articles to be supported. There remains a need in the art for a door hanging system that can be manufactured economically, used easily by either a consumer or by a professional to hang a door in a door frame and which also has a design that allows an old door to be easily re-hung in a door frame. The hinge adapter of the present invention as described herein meets these needs.
To overcome the shortcomings of known door hanging systems, I have now designed a new door hanging system, and a new hinge adapter for mounting hinges on a door jamb. The new hinge adapter includes a new construction for hanging a door in a door frame.
Briefly, a door hanging system is disclosed here that can be readily used to mount a door in a door frame where the door had been previously mounted, but where the holes used to attach the door hinges to the door frame had become stripped. The new hinge adapter can also be used to hang a new door in a door frame, without the need for making mortises in the door or door jamb for accommodating the hinges used with the door. Other embodiments may readily be adapted for mounting other types of doors.
The door hanging system of the present invention uses a new hinge adapter. The hinge adapter provides a new construction for hanging a door in a door frame. The hinge adapter of the invention comprises two major components, the first being a hinge-to-door adapting member and the second being a hinge-to-jamb adapting member. These two adapting members each have at least two mortises for receiving a hinge plate. Preferably, these adapting members also each have a plurality of holes for use in attaching the respective adapter to either a door, or to a door janb. Attaching the two adapting members to the door and to the door jamb, with at least two hinges between them, allows the hanging of the door upon the door jamb with the attachment of the door to the jamb being made over a larger area of the jamb and the door, than if the at least two hinges were attached directly to the door and the door jamb.
The hinge adapter disclosed here can be used to overcome a common problem with doors where the mounting holes used to attach the hinges from a door to the door frame becomes stripped over time. Use of the inventive hinge adapter allows the door to be hung again in the same door frame. The hinge adapter preferably includes a set of hinges adapted for use with the door adapter. Such hinges can be equal in number to those originally used with the particular door and door frames, or different in number.
The new hinge adapter may be viewed as a tvpe of extension for the plates of the hinges. By attaching the hinges to the new hinge adapter of the present invention, and then attaching the hinge adapter to the door and the door jamb of the door frame a larger effective area for attachment is presented by the hinges. The new hinge adapter then may be viewed as a large extension of the plates of the hinges. The hinges may be securely attached to mortises within the hinge adapter. This attachment can be advantageously made using sheet metal screws bolt-and-nut fasteners. Wood screws can be used to securely attach the new hinge adapter to the door and door jamb, if the door and door frame are of wood construction.
The hinge adapter disclosed here thereby provides an extended area on both the door and the door jamb for attachment of the door to the door jamb. Fasteners such as screws can be used in these extended areas for hanging the door to the door jamb.
It is accordingly an aspect of the invention to provide a door hanging system that is well suited for reusing a door in a doorframe, where the holes in the doorframe for mounting the hinges have become stripped.
It is also an aspect of the invention to provide a door hanging system that is well suited for reusing a the hinges previously used for a particular door in a doorframe, where the holes in the doorframe for mounting the hinges, or the holes in the door for mounting the hinges have become stripped.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a door hanging system that can be manufactured easily from extruded metal.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a door hanging system that is made in kit form, to reduce the cost of manufacturing.
It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a door hanging system that can use commercially available door hinges for hanging a door, while also allowing convenient hanging in a door frame where the holes in the door frame for mounting the hinges have become stripped.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a new door hanging construction that can use commercially available door hinges for hanging a door, while also providing greater strength of the attachment of the door to a door frame.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new door hanging system that can be easily installed by a homeowner using common tools that are available to an ordinary homeowner.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new door hanging system that can be easily installed by a homeowner, with little skill needed by the homeowner.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new door hanging system that can be used when the holes in the door frame for mounting the hinges become stripped.
It is yet another aspect of the invention to provide a new door hanging system that can be easily installed by a homeowner, where the hanging system allows for easy adjustment by shimming of the door mounting in a doorframe.
It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a new door hanging system that is stronger and more resistant to break-in than conventional hinge-on-jamb arrangements.
It is still another aspect of the present invention to provide a hinge adapter that allows commercially available door hinges to be used for hanging a door, while also reinforcing the doorjamb.
These aspects, and others set forth more fully below are achieved by the present invention.